GMAT Focus Score Calculator : General GMAT Questions and Strategies

bb · 2023-09-20T18:47:30-07:00

I have developed a GMAT Focus Calculator that helps get your final score based on the sectional scores (Quant, Verbal, and DI) Set your scores and it should match your result exactly (there is some fancy math going on behind the scenes to make sure that the results are always multiples of 5) You can use this calculator to get a sense of how much you can bump up your score with changes in the section. Something that's interesting to note about the GMAT Focus is that all 3 sections contribute to the score equally, so if you can max one out easier than others, go for it. The percentiles are based on the mba.com percentile chart Where is the data coming from? mba.com for Quant, Verbal, Data Insights, overall focus and classic percentiles. This is the latest data as of August 30 2024. The calculation is based on a fairly simple formula where all sections contribute equally to the overall score at the ratio of 6.67 to 1 sectional point. It has so far been very accurate but I would still appreciate any suggestions for improvement. Making Sense of Your Scores: When reviewing Official Score Reports, the focus is often on the Total Score, but don't overlook the significance of section scores and percentile rankings. They provide valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. Understanding GMAT Percentile Score: Your five GMAT scores come with a percentile ranking, indicating how your performance compares to other test-takers. For instance, an average ranking of 75% means you outperformed 75% of test-takers, and 25% did as well as you. Your scores remain constant, but rankings shift based on the past three years' exam data. GMAT Raw Score: The GMAT sectional score or as it used to be called, raw score, reflects your immediate performance on the Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights sections, ranging from 60 to 90. These are then transformed into a total score between 205 and 805. Decoding Total Score: Your GMAT Score comprises a Verbal Section Score, Quant Section Score, and a Data Insights Section Score. It assesses higher-order reasoning skills across verbal, quantitative, and data analysis, indicating your potential for success in graduate management programs. Quantitative Reasoning Section Score: The Quantitative section gauges mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. Scaled scores range from 60 to 90, The mean Quant score is 78.05. GMAT Percentile Scores: Percentile scores help you compare your GMAT performance with other test-takers. A 50th percentile score is median, while the 75th percentile is considered good. A score in the 90th percentile is excellent, and 99th percentile denotes outstanding performance. Scoring Mechanism: The exact official scoring algorithm has not been disclosed by the GMAC. In the previous version of the GMAT, the sectional and total scores were calculated separately, sometimes creating inconsistent scores. Now the scoring is actually very rigid and highly consistent. This total score falls within the 205 to 805 range, with most scores ranging between 435 and 675. Official Score Report Timeline: The official score report is typically available within three business days, but processing may extend to 20 business days in case an online test is flagged for an administrative review. GMAT Overall Score Classification: Scores between 205 and 445 are deemed below average, 445 to 585 as average, 595 to 685 as above average, and 695 to 805 as high. Understanding these classifications helps assess your performance relative to GMAT norms.

gferis

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q79 V83 DI83 Verified score

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q79 V83 DI83 Verified score

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22 Oct 2024, 08:04

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bb

It should be. I have so far in 1+years have known of only 2 cases where the official scores were 10 points off. I save those for reference and to understand what can be improved for accuracy. However, the formula and calculation is pretty straightforward so I am not quite sure why there are these anomalies. I am aware of only 2 so far.

P.S. Something I have learned lately is that Official GMAT prep tests (practice ones) do not have their percentile updated to the latest version yet, just heads up.

Filippo999

Is this always accurate?

Hi bb !

First of all, thanks for the calculator I used it a lot during my preparation. Secondly, I wanted to update you on another case: I've just got 645 on the official test with Q79 V83 DI83 and the calculator gives me 635.

bb

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22 Oct 2024, 08:08

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gferis

Hi bb !

First of all, thanks for the calculator I used it a lot during my preparation. Secondly, I wanted to update you on another case: I've just got 645 on the official test with Q79 V83 DI83 and the calculator gives me 635.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I have one report from a user who took a GMAT Prep with 80, 83, 82 taking GMAT prep that they got 645 which is the same sum as your score and this would indicate there is a slight anomaly around 245 points that I have probably manually adjust - did you take the official test, not a GMAT Prep, just to confirm?

Thank you.

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q86 V81 DI78 Verified score

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q86 V81 DI78 Verified score

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22 Oct 2024, 08:11

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gferis

Hi bb !

First of all, thanks for the calculator I used it a lot during my preparation. Secondly, I wanted to update you on another case: I've just got 645 on the official test with Q79 V83 DI83 and the calculator gives me 635.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I have one report from a user who took a GMAT Prep with 80, 83, 82 taking GMAT prep that they got 645 which is the same sum as your score and this would indicate there is a slight anomaly around 245 points that I have probably manually adjust - did you take the official test, not a GMAT Prep, just to confirm?

Thank you.

Very true. I reported the first discrepancy, and I had a total of 245 as well (86+81+78).

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q79 V83 DI83 Verified score

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GMAT Focus 1: 645 Q79 V83 DI83 Verified score

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22 Oct 2024, 08:18

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gferis

Hi bb !

First of all, thanks for the calculator I used it a lot during my preparation. Secondly, I wanted to update you on another case: I've just got 645 on the official test with Q79 V83 DI83 and the calculator gives me 635.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I have one report from a user who took a GMAT Prep with 80, 83, 82 taking GMAT prep that they got 645 which is the same sum as your score and this would indicate there is a slight anomaly around 245 points that I have probably manually adjust - did you take the official test, not a GMAT Prep, just to confirm?

Thank you.

Yes, it is the official test !

bb

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22 Oct 2024, 08:23

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Thank you Aryaa03 and gferis.

Now that we have 2 reports, I think it is safe to say this is the official score and the calculator should be changed.
I have put a manual condition that if the score sum is 245, then the score should be 645. The interesting part is that the raw calculated number is 633 using the same formula that works for every other combination except this one. Weird.

It is a head scratcher, but I am happy to adjust and follow the official pattern.

Thank you again. If anyone has any other questions or comments, absolutely would appreciate it!
-BB

P.S. I have 3 reports actually for this exact number! I got a report last week from nisheshj about the same combination.

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01 Dec 2024, 01:03

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Thanks BB. Calculator seems accurate with whatever results I have encountered. I have plotted Total score Vs GMAT score. It helped me, hope it helps others. Reference data points are taken from this calculator.

Regards,

Sai

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26 Feb 2025, 14:00

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I entered my recent official mock section wise scores. Overall score is matching exactly but the section wise & overall percentile differs by 2~3%.

bb

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26 Feb 2025, 14:01

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Kedar91

When I entered my official mock scores, overall score is matching but section wise & overall percentile is less by 2~3 %

Thank you for the question.

I believe,That is because the percentiles in the gmat prep have not been updated since 2023.

You can look up your scores and then look up the new updated percentiles from August 2024 on mba.com and you can tell me if they match or if our calculator is wrong.

The calculator uses the percentiles from August 2024.

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27 Feb 2025, 10:59

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yes, it matches with the updated chart on mba.com

bb

Kedar91

When I entered my official mock scores, overall score is matching but section wise & overall percentile is less by 2~3 %

Thank you for the question.

I believe,That is because the percentiles in the gmat prep have not been updated since 2023.

You can look up your scores and then look up the new updated percentiles from August 2024 on mba.com and you can tell me if they match or if our calculator is wrong.

The calculator uses the percentiles from August 2024.

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bb I got a D86 for the below scorecard, not sure how. Is this common, given the mistake is the last question.

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